The company says the reason for discontinuation lies in the rise of Flash memory and demand for high-definition video. Another casualty in the fast-paced world of tech, then.

Sony helped to launch Video8 in the 1980s, propelling it forward as the format of choice for amateur camcorder owners. Video8 was later upgraded to Hi8 to compete with the rival Super-VHS format and both remained dominant in the market for the next two decades until being overtaken by DV.